Air discharge outlet unit



' July 22, 1958 G. E. KAuTz. 2,844,322

AIR DISCHARGE OUTLET UNIT Filed'May 24, 1957 I s sheets-sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. G/enn'E. Kauz BY YMRCLQM VATTORNEY July 22, 1958 x 'G E. KAUTz 2,844,322

AIR DISCHARGE OUTLET UNIT s sheets-sheet 2 Filed May 24, 1957 INVENTOR. /enn f. Kauz AT TURA/EY July 22, w58 GET-:.'KAu-Tz I 2,844,322

AIR DISCHARGE OUTLET 'UNIT Filed May 24, 1957 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 HEATING CYCLE j OUTLET oAMPl-:R PosmoN /5 o 5 o /.,v /0 |2.5/ 12.5% lo @ms f PosmoN 20 zz /0 Z2 Z2 20 I COLD AIR HOT AIR' COLD AIR HOT AIR COLD AIR HOT AIR f /4 /6 /4 /6 A /4 2O /a Plas F|s.4 Fles COOLING CYCLEy 5 o l o o ouTuzT DAMPER PosmoN /5 CHIMNEY oAMPT-:R /0 PosmoN 22 zo 22 /5 /a I COLD AIR COLD AIR /8 COLD AIR COLD AIR COLD AIR /4 /6 /4 /6 .f4- ZO /6 FIG.6 FIG.7 Y FIG.8

INVENTOIL BY PM am i ATTO/@NU United States Patent Ofiice 2,844,322 Patented July 22, 1958 AIR DISCHARGE OUTLET UNIT Application May 24, 1957, Serial No.,661,388

9 Claims. (Cl. 236-13) This invention relates to an air discharge outlet unit adapted for connection to the air conducting cells forming a part of the air distributing and flooring structure shown in the Goemann Patent No.v2,729,429, dated I anuary 3, 1956, embodying novel control means for the outlet unit designed to maintain a constant discharge Velocity of conditioned air into the room.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel and eicient air distributing outlet for the purpose above set forth by which air of constant velocity may be discharged throughout the building under varying conditions of pressure of air being supplied to the outlet.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the air discharge outlet unit andin the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention: Y

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofy a portion of one story of a building embodying an air distributing structure in which the present discharge unit may be embodied;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the present unit as. erected upon the load supporting floor shown in Fig. l and connected to the hot and cold air conducting cells of the floor; and

Figs. 3-8 are diagrammatic views illustrating various damper settings to be referred to.

In general the present invention contemplates an air discharge outlet unit for a dual duct air conditioning system embodying novel damper control mechanism for controlling the movements of and relationship of the dampers employed in controlling the supply of hot and cold air to a mixing chamber and for maintaining a constant discharge velocity of the conditioned air into the room. Provision is also made for the convenient conversion of the unit from winter operation, wherein hot and cold air is supplied through the ducts to the discharge unit, to summer operation, wherein both ducts carry cool air. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention one of the ducts is provided with a thermostatically controlled damper responsive to room temperatures, the second duct having a damper responsive to the prevailing'pressure in the mixing chamber, and the mixing chamber outlet is provided with a thermostatically controlled damper arranged to vary the outlet opening in proportion to the total delivery of air from both stacks so as to maintain a constant discharge velocity from said outlet whereby to provide uniform circulation of air into the room at all times.

Referring nowrto the drawings, in general in the illustrated and preferred embodiment of the invention the 2 for automatically maintaining the static pressure in the mixing chamber 12 at -a constant level, the opening of the outlet dampers 15 being Varied in proportion to the present discharge outlet unit comprises a sill or outlet boxi 10 providing a mixing chamber 12 in the upper portion thereof and having an elongated discharge opening 13 in the top wall thereof. vided with a pair of dampers 15, and provision is made The discharge outlet 13 is prototal delivery so that a substantially constant discharge velocity and a substantially uniform pattern 4of discharge is maintained at all times.

As herein shown, the sill box 10 is connected to a cold air stack 14 and a hot air stack`16 attached in airtight relation to a cold air floor cell 18 and a hot air door cell 20 respectively. The cold air stack is provided with a volume control or mixing damper 22 arranged to be automatically controlled by an air motor 30 in response to variations in room temperature, the air motor 30 being connected to a compressed air line 32 through a thermostat 34 which acts as a valve to increase the line presf sure to the motor to open and close the cold air damper 22 in response to increases and decreases in temperature in the room.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention provision is also made for opening and closing the outlet dampers 15 in response to variations in room tem* perature through an air motor 36 and linkage comprising an arm 38 pivoted at 40 and connected intermediate its ends to a vertical gear rack 42 arranged to cooperate with gears 44, 46 to which the outlet dampers 15 are con-v nected.

The cold air stack 14 is also provided with a pressure reduction damper 24 having a `static pressure regulator indicated generally at 26 for the purpose of maintaining a substantially constant static pressure in the cold air stack irrespective of variations in pressure of the main supply of cold air and also irrespective of variations in the setting of the cold air damper 22.

As shown in Fig. 2, the pressure reduction damper 24 in the cold air stack 14 is connected by an arm 48 .to the movable end of a bellows 50 supported at its xed end by a bracket 52. The fixed end of the bellows 50 is in communication with an air tube 54 having an opening 56 in communication with the main air supply in the stack 14 on the upstream side of the pressure reduction damper 24. An adjustable needle valve 58 is provided in the air tube 54 between the opening 56 and the bellows 50. The tube 54 is also connected to a bleeder valve unit 60 forming a part of the static pressure regulator 26 and having an outlet or bleed port 62 and a cooperating valve stern 64 movable toward and from the outlet opening 62. The stem 64 is connected to and movable with a flexible diaphragm 66 placed across the upper end of a chamber 68. The chamber 68 is connected by a pipe 70 with a communicating opening 72 in the stack 14 at a point between the mixing damper 22 and the pressure reduction damper 24. Normally, when the mixing damper 22 is in an open position the pressure of the air from the main air supply passing into the opening 56 and tube 54 is not suflicient to expand the bellows 50, and any air passing into the tube may escape through the bleed port 62. Likewise, the pressure between the mixing damper 22 and the pressure reduction damper 24 when the mixing damper is in an open position is not sufficient to inflate the diaphragm 66 so that the stem 64 will remain in its lowered position to permit escape of air through the bleed port 62. However, when the mixing damper is moved in a closing direction the air pressure in the stack between the two dampers 22, 24 is increased, inating the diaphragm 66 to move the stem 64 upwardly in a direction to reduce the opening and the amount of air permitted to escape from the bleed port 62. As a result the air pressure in the tube V54 is built up to expand the bellows 50 and effect rocking of the pressure reduction damper in a closing direction, thus effecting a reduction in the pressure between the two dampers and tending to maintain a constant pressure and stable ow of the.

' 3 air being discharged from-the stack 14 into the mixing chamber 12.

On the other hand, in the event the main air supply pressure should Vary such as to increase the pressure betweenthe two Vdampers thefairpressure inl-tube 54-will also-be increased -to effect expansion of thel bellows 50 and rocking` of the `lower damper 24ini-arclosing direction to reduce-the pressure, thus alsotending to-maintain a constant static pressure between the t-wo'dampers. lThe needle valve 58 may be adjusted to regulate the admission of air so that the bleed port 62 can normally exhaust more air than is admitted whereby to permit contraction ofthe bellows and opening of the pressure reduction damper Vas described, 'and-also' serves as a damping element to prevent wide -uctuations of Vthe bellows.

The hot air stack`16 is-also provided with a pressure reduction damper 28 and a similar static pressure control means indicated generally at 74. The pressure reduction damper 28 is connected by an arm 76 to the movable end of a bellows 7S, the xed end of the bellows 79'being in communication with an air tube 80 leading from an opening 82 in communication with the main air supply in the hot air stack 16 on the upstream side of the pressure reduction damper 28 through an adjustable needle valve 84. The tube 80 is connected to a similar bleeder valve 86 having a bleed port 88 and a cooperating valve stern 90 connected to and movable with a ilexible diaphragm 92 placed across the upper end of a chamber 94. The chamber 94 is connected to a pressure sensing tube 100 disposed in the mixing chamber 12 arranged to control the pressure reduction damper 28 whereby to maintain a constant pressure in the mixing chamber itself, the damper 28 in the hot air chimney being opened and closed in response to any deviation from a-predetermined pressure in the mixing chamber to compensate for variations in the setting of the damper 22 in the cold air chimney and in the setting of the outlet damper 15. The outlet damper is arranged to be opened and closed in response to room temperatures in a manner such as to maintain certain proportionalities between the degree of opening of the cold air damper 22 and the outlet damper 15. Thus, in operation when the cold air damper 22 is moved from a closed position to an open position in response to an increase in temperature in the room the outlet damper 15 is moved upwardly in a closing direction, thus tending to build up the pressure in the chamber 12 which is sensed by the tube 100 of the static pressure regulator 74 to effect ination of the diaphragm 92 and elevation of the pin 90 to thereby reduce the opening and the .amount of air permitted to escape from the bleed port 88, thus increasing the pressure in the tube 80 to expand the bellows 78 and toeiect movement of the hot air damper 28 in a closing direction. In other words, the prevailing pressure ,in the cold air stack 14 acts as the control pressure for the cold pressure reduction damper 24, and the prevailing pressure in the mixing chamber 12 of the sill box 10 acts as the control pressure for the damper 28 in the hot air stack 16.

Thus, in operation, assuming that the normal position for the cold air stack mixing or volume control damper 22 is about 45 open, as shown in Fig. 2, an increase in temperature increases the cylinder pressure 30 and moves the damper 22 in an opening direction while a decrease in temperature drops the pressure and moves it in a closing direction. The pressure reduction damper 2S on the hot side tends to maintain a constant pressure in the sill box 12 by opening or closing in an inverse ratio to the position assumed by the cold air mixing damper 22. In other words, when one is opening, the other is closing and vice versa. As a result, the static pressure in the mixing chamber 12 is maintained at a constant level under varying conditions of pressure of air being supplied to the outlet, and the opening of the outlet damper 15 is Varied in proportion to the total-delivery so that a substantially constant discharge velocity and Ya vuniform pattern of discharge or throw are maintained are disposed downwardly at an angle of about-45 so that the opening between the blades represents `a 50% opening relative to the full width of the outlet opening 13, andthe entire 50% or all of the air required to maintain a stable pressure `in the mixing chamber 12 is delivered from the hot air stack 16. In other words, with the volume control and outlet damper settings shown in Fig. 3, it will be apparent that the prevailing pressure in the mixing chamber 12 will eectdeflection of the diaphragm 92 to increase the amount of air permitted to escape through the bleed port opening 88 andk thus cause lcontraction of the bellows 78 and opening of the hot air pressure reduction damper 28 to thereby stabilize the pressure in the mixing chamber 12 and assist in maintaining a constant delivery from the outlet. In the second position, shown in Fig. 4, the cold air mixing damper 22 is half way or 45 open, and the space between the parallel aligned blades of the outlet damper 15 represents'a 25% open position so that half of this or l21/2% of the air required is supplied by each stack 14, 16. Finally, as shown in Fig. 5, when the cold air mixing damper 22 is fully open in response to the room temperatures, the blades of the outlet damper 15 have arrived at a 50% open position in an upwardly rocked direction so that all of the air required comes from the cold air stack 14. Provision is also made for changing the operative relation between the cold air damper 22 and the outlet damper 15 from a winter heating cycle to a summer cooling cycle and may include a cycle transfer air motor 102 operatively connected to the pivotal point 40 to change the position thereof.

During the foregoing heating cycle, the compressed air supply in the service line 32 leading to the thermostat 34 is at a pressure level which is low venough to allow the cycle transfer motor 102 to be completely retracted as shown in vfull lines in Fig. 2. At the beginning of the summer season when a changeover to the cooling cycle is desired, the air supply pressure in line 32 is increased to a level sulicient to overcome the transfer motor spring 104 and drive the piston 41 to its fully extended position as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This changes 4the stroking range of the outlet damper rack 42 and advances it to give the cooling cycle range as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. In addition, the stack 16 formerly carrying hot air is now provided with cold air from the cell 20.

Under the new set of conditions, when the damper 22 in the left hand stack 14 is substantially fully closed, the outlet damper 15 is at a 25% open position so that all the outlet air capacity comes from the right hand stack 16 as shown in Fig. 6. With the outlet damper 15 at a upwardly open position, as shown in Fig. 7, the mixing damper 22 is half way open and the left hand stack 14 takes care of l21/2% of the air required. The

" right hand stack 16 provides 371/2% of the required air.

Finally, as illustrated in Fig. 8, when the blades of the outlet damper 15 are rocked upwardly to full 100% open position each stack has attained a 50% of total air delivery capacity.

From the above description it will be seen that the present air discharge outlet unit is capable of automatically controlling the discharge velocity of the conditioned air entering the room under varying conditions of pressure of air being supplied to the outlet whereby to provide a uniform circulation of conditioned air into the room.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. In a dual duct air conditioning system, an air discharge outlet unit having a mixing chamber, a discharge outlet, and dual -inlet stacks adapted for connection to dual air supply ducts, a thermostatically controlled damper in one of said stacks responsive to room temperature, a pressure reduction inlet damper in the second inlet stack responsive to the prevailing pressure in said mixing chamber, and a thermostatically controlled damper in said discharge outlet also responsive to room temperature, the movement of said discharge outlet damper being correlated to the movement of said inlet dampers and proportionate to the prevailing pressure in said mixing chamber to provide a substantially constant discharge velocity of conditioned air from said outlet under varying conditions of pressure of air being supplied from said inlet stacks.

2. An air discharge outlet unit as defined in claim 1 which includes pressure regulating means controlling said pressure reduction inlet damper in the second inlet stack and responsive to the prevailing pressure in said mixing chamber.

3. An air discharge outlet unit as defined in claim 1 which includes a pressure reduction damper in said rst inlet stack spaced from the thermostatically controlled inlet damper therein and disposed on the upstream side of the stack, and static pressure regulating means controlling said pressure reduction damper for substantially restoring the static pressure in the portion of the inlet stack between said dampers to a predetermined value when variations occur in such static pressure upon operation of the thermostatically controlled damper or upon variations in air pressure on the upstream side of the pressure reduction damper.

4. An air discharge outlet unit as defined in claim 1 wherein the thermostatically controlled means for said first stack inlet damper includes an air motor operatively connected to a supply of compressed air and to said damper, and a thermostatically controlled valve between said supply and said air motor, and wherein the thermostatically controlled means for said outlet damper also includes an air motor operatively connected to said thermostatically controlled valve.

5. In a dual duct air conditioning system, an air discharge outlet unit having a mixing chamber, a discharge outlet, and dual inlet stacks adapted for connection to dual air supply ducts, a thermostatically controlled inlet damper in one of said stacks, a pressure reduction damper in said one stack spaced from said inlet damper and 5 disposed on the upstream side of the stack, static pressure regulating means controlling said pressure reduction damper for maintaining a substantially constant static pressure between said dampers, a pressure reduction inlet damper in said second inlet stack, and static pressure regulating means controlling said second pressure reduction damper responsive to the prevailing pressure in said mixing chamber, a thermostatically controlled damper in said discharge outlet, and means for correlating the movement of said discharge outlet damper to the movement of said inlet dampers and proportionate to the prevailing pressure in said mixing chamber to provide a substantially constant discharge velocity of conditioned air from said outlet under varying conditions of pressure being supplied from said inlets.

6. An air discharge outlet unit as dened in claim 5 wherein the rst inlet stack is supplied with cold air and the second inlet stack is supplied with hot air.

7. An air discharge outlet unit as defined in claim 5 wherein both inlet stacks are supplied with cold air.

8. An air discharge outlet unit as dened in claim 5 wherein the means for correlating the movement of said outlet damper to the movement of the inlet dampers and in proportion to the prevailing pressure in the mixing chamber eiects modulation of the pressure reduction inlet damper against the movement of the thermostatically controlled inlet damper so that when one is opening the other is closing under one set of conditions, and means for changing the relative positions of movement of said outlet damper under a second set of conditions so that the prevailing pressure in the mixing chamber will effect movement of both inlet dampers in an opening direction.

9. An air discharge outlet as deined in claim 8 wherein the means for changing the relative positions of movement of said outlet damper includes an air motor operatively connected to a supply of compressed air and to said outlet damper.

References Cited in the le of this patent 

